Current as at 14 October 2026: eligibility, forms and supporting documents should always be checked against the current information issued by the Bulgarian Employment Agency and the competent Labour Office.
Youth Employment+ under the Human Resources Development Programme 2021–2027 is a practical route for Bulgarian employers seeking to recruit and train young people with financial support. This guide explains Component 2: eligibility, Labour Code routes, documents and the special rules for workers under 18.
Author: IVANOVA Legal Solutions | Category: Employment law and EU programmes
1. Which employers may apply?
Eligible applicants include private-sector employers — companies, sole traders, cooperatives and non-profit legal entities carrying out economic activity — as well as public bodies, municipalities, municipal enterprises and state-administration structures. The applicant must have been established and entered in the relevant public register at least six months before the application date.
The number of vacancies requested may not exceed the employer’s actual headcount on the application date, excluding subsidised employees. The maximum also depends on the 2025 unemployment rate in the municipality where the positions will be created. State-aid restrictions apply to primary agricultural production, fisheries and aquaculture.
2. Which young people may participate?
The target group comprises people aged 16 to 29 inclusive, registered with a Labour Office as unemployed, long-term unemployed or inactive, as well as pupils and students wishing to work outside study time or during holidays.
For subsidised employment and on-the-job training, the “first job” requirement should be checked: the person should not have held the same four-digit National Classification of Occupations role for more than 30 consecutive days.
3. Three employment routes under the Labour Code
| Route | Legal basis and key conditions | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Internship | Articles 233a–233c of the Labour Code. Intended for a person with completed secondary or higher education and no experience in the acquired specialty. A mentor with at least three years’ experience in a similar specialty is appointed. | 6 months |
| On-the-job training | Articles 230–233. A profession is acquired in the work process under an appointed company mentor. | up to 6 months |
| Subsidised employment | Article 66 in connection with Articles 67/68. Roles within occupational groups 2 to 9 of NCO-2011; full-time or part-time work may be used. | up to 6 months |
Where applicable, the employment may be complemented by voucher-funded transferable-skills training, including personal and social competence or initiative and entrepreneurship.
4. What support is available?
- Labour costs: funding is provided through standard unit costs. The officially announced quarterly private-sector rate is EUR 3,168 for an eight-hour day and EUR 1,583 for a four-hour day per target-group participant.
- Mentor support: the applicable routes include support for an appointed mentor during internship or practical training.
- Travel: the project provides public-transport support to and from work during the first contract month.
- Employment retention: the employer must retain employment for half of the supported period — for example, at least three additional months after a six-month period.
5. De minimis: checks before applying
For private-sector employers, the support constitutes de minimis aid under Regulation (EU) 2023/2831. The aggregate de minimis aid received by a “single undertaking” must not exceed EUR 300,000 over three years. This includes aid received by the applicant and linked parent, subsidiary or commonly controlled entities.
Double funding must be avoided: the role must not be financed in parallel from another public source, national budget or donor programme.
6. Employing a minor: mandatory protections
Employing 16–17-year-olds is possible, but requires strict compliance with the Bulgarian Labour Code:
- Prior Labour Inspectorate permit: before the employment agreement, obtain a written individual permit for the specific person under Article 303(3).
- Medical examination: the minor must provide a medical fitness opinion for the role.
- Working time: seven hours per day and 35 hours per week over five days, without a proportional pay reduction.
- No night or overtime work.
- Annual leave: at least 26 working days.
- Risk assessment and parents: prepare a workplace risk assessment and notify the parent/guardian in writing of the employment conditions.
7. Core application documents
- Vacancy request (Appendix 11) — employer data, NACE, role and NCO code, education, working time, duties and mentor details;
- De minimis declaration (Appendix I) — including linked undertakings and aid received over the previous three years;
- Declaration of absence of circumstances (Appendix III / III-A) — covering conflict of interest, prior termination attributable to the employer, double funding and applicable data-protection declarations;
- Participant documents — identity document, Labour Office registration card, participation application (Appendix 5), education document and Labour Office referral letter.
8. Procedure: from request to employment agreement
- File the application: prepare Appendices 11, I and III and file them electronically through Bulgaria’s Secure Electronic Delivery system with the competent Labour Office.
- Eligibility review: the Labour Office reviews eligibility, vacancy limits and de minimis compliance.
- Referral: the young person registers, files Appendix 5 and receives an official referral letter.
- Minor permit: where applicable, obtain the Labour Inspectorate permit before work begins.
- Agreements: conclude the financial-support agreement and employment agreement; notify the National Revenue Agency under Article 62 of the Labour Code within the statutory period.
- Reporting: report worked days under the contract rules and recover eligible costs.
9. Frequent mistakes
- using an internship route for a person who has not completed the relevant education level;
- omitting linked undertakings from the de minimis declaration;
- allowing a minor to start before the Labour Inspectorate permit;
- using an eight-hour schedule instead of the mandatory seven-hour schedule for a minor;
- unclear job descriptions, working-time details or mentor information.
Need support?
IVANOVA Legal Solutions assists employers with eligibility and linked-undertaking reviews, application and declaration preparation, employment documentation, and Labour Inspectorate procedures for employing minors.
Official sources: Bulgarian Employment Agency — Youth Employment+ Component 2 and employer application conditions. This article is general information, not individual legal advice.